Love Potion Number 7
by Story Please
Summary: Severus only has a few weeks until he will finally be graduating from Hogwarts. Unfortunately, the Marauders won't allow them to be peaceful weeks if they have anything to say about it.


Love Potion Number 7

Severus hated swiss chard surprise, but he'd been feeling a little under the weather and potions could only do so much. Slughorn could only be oblivious about so many ingredients going missing. So, he pinched his nose with one hand and forced a bite down his throat.

"Ugh," he grumbled, grasping for the pumpkin juice, "Why do they call it swiss chard surprise? It's no surprise how terrible it is, that's for sure."

Severus was so busy washing down the horrid mush in his mouth with the juice before his gag reflex caught up with him, that by his cheeks went scarlet for no real reason, there was nothing he could do about the image that rose in his mind, unbidden.

"Ahhhhh, she's simply...lovely," he sighed, his eyelashes fluttering as he leaned on one elbow and looked at the object of his sudden and unexplained affection.

Well, actually, there is a pretty good explanation for it, a little voice said from deep inside of Severus' mind. From beyond the haze of his ardor, Severus could see James Potter and Sirius Black sitting at the Gryffindor table looking at him and snickering behind their napkins before giving each other a high five.

Somehow, Potter and Black did...this...but ohh, she is so dreamy. Severus was unable to control himself. He stood abruptly, his chair squeaking loudly in the din of the Great Hall, but no one noticed. After all, he was a poor half-blood in Slytherin. Even his potions knowledge only carried him so far. Still, there were a couple of snickers and stares as Severus tried to force himself not to move closer to her...she...was...so beautiful...an angel in robes...

Severus grabbed onto the back of Avery's seat as his feet tried to walk forward, giving him the appearance of a person trying to avoid being swept away by a rushing river. His hands, finally, gave up their struggle and he shuffled, more zombie than wizard, towards the one the love potion had drawn him to.

He could smell her particular scent, and smiled, ignoring the giggles of the students as he passed. For once, his large nose wasn't a detriment, that was for sure. She was heavenly, even when she glared at him.

"Hullo," he said, waving his fingers like an utter dope.

"Hello yourself," she replied, looking at him somewhat concernedly, "Is there something you needed?"

"Yeah, just that yer beautiful and I want everyone to know how much I love yeh!" Severus' voice went from a soft, almost conspiratory whisper to a shout.

"Why, I-" she faltered, looking at him in shock.

"In fact, I would like, in front of everyone, to ask for your hand in marriage," He announced loudly, pulling out his wand and conjuring a pretty golden ring with a complex wand movement.

Rather than looking impressed, she narrowed her eyes, her gaze immediately fixing on something behind him. Severus was heartbroken, but he knew he wouldn't give up easily. He was nothing if not stubborn..

"Please!" he begged, falling to his knees. "I know I don't have much to offer you, but I swear, I will love you until my dying breath."

She regarded him with an almost-smile and stood, resting her hand on his shoulder.

"Be that as it may, I would like you to come with me."

Severus grinned and took her hand, allowing her to lead him down the middle of the Great Hall towards the doors at the far end. People were cheering and clapping as they walked together, and Severus nearly cried with delight at how well everything appeared to be going, even though she hadn't taken the ring (or said yes to his proposal for that matter).

It was only when they reached the Infirmary that Severus began to realize that something was wrong.

"Come on then, sit here," came the order.

Severus sat, looking up at his beloved with puppy dog eyes.

"Mr. Snape, do you remember eating anything strange?" she looked at him sternly.

"You don't have to call me that. Too formal, yeah?" Severus said with a grin, "Jus' call me Severus."

"Do you know who I am, then, Severus?" He nearly squeaked with pleasure at the sound of his name on her lips.

"Yeah...you're..." He thought for a moment. "A goddess. Yeah, just like your name. Minerva."

"I hardly think it's proper to call your teacher by her first name!" Professor McGonagall said, blushing slightly.

"Don't worry about him," Mrs. Pomfrey said with a soft tut-tut noise, "he'll be right as rain as soon as he takes his medicine."

Severus looked at the cup of bubbling liquid and turned up his nose. "I don't wanna."

"Come now, you have to do it so you can clear your head!" McGonagall looked exasperated.

"Hmph, never did me any good," Severus grumbled. "I have you now, and that's all that matters."

"As flattering as that is, Mr. Snape, you must drink this whether you want to or not!" McGonagall's lips were drawn in a thin line as she stared down at him.

"Fine," he replied looking at her appraisingly, "but only if you feed it to me."

"Of all the-" McGonagall looked at Pomfrey, who shrugged. "Fine!"

She came closer to him and touched his chin to tip his head back. Severus nearly moaned with the pleasure of her touch. He opened his lips as she tipped the glass gently in order to let in the medicine. He guzzled it greedily, swallowing it in one gulp, but before she could pull away, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her down to him.

"I may never have another chance," he gasped, and kissed her right on the lips.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment. Mrs Pomfrey gasped, McGonagall's face went white as a sheet, and Severus' eyes went from half-lidded to wide with horror as the medicine finally kicked in.

"Oh...no," Severus moaned, snapping out of his stupor and jumping backwards on the bed until he was pressed up against the wall. He covered his face with shame. "No no no no no no, this has to be some sort of nightmare...oh god no..."

Professor McGonagall recovered first. "It was not your fault, Mr. Snape," she said, her expression sympathetic. "You were drugged."

Severus scrunched further in on himself with humiliation. If anything, that made it worse. The fact that his normally keen senses had not alerted him to the telltale scent of a Love Potion was utterly demoralizing, and that was before the walk of shame he'd be making back to the Slytherin dormitories.

"Have Mr Snape spend the rest of the evening recuperating in here, Poppy," McGonagall said, casting a sympathetic look at the huddled teenager on the bed.

In only a few short weeks, he would be graduating and moving out into the real world, but the Marauders were unable to give him even the merest amount of time to let his guard down.

Well, he soothed himself, at least you won't be coming back to Hogwarts after graduation. There's only a few weeks left. Professor McGonagall will probably not even remember any of this.

If only he knew how very wrong he was.


End file.
